MANUEL CLAASEN'S PAINTINGS

Manuel Claasen's (Oostzaan-Holland, 1939) work is based upon the concept of 'landscapes'. These are not images of existing situations but refer to something else, metaphors with a intrinsic connotation as well as extrinsic. The landscape is a starting point, not a means in itself. For Claasen the landscape is an initial attempt to classification. As far as the design is concerned classification results into natural tension between the elements. When starting the artwork the empty canvas must lead to development of the image-to-be. It requires scrutiny till the design starts building up. Classification requires definition of size and proportions. The proportions are partly defined by experience but also require calculation and re-calculation.

For Claasen artwork, in this case the painting, is one of the limited possibilities to true classification meaning a classification related to life-itself. In the outer world there is chaos, nonsense and ugliness. In this world there is no sense to be found but if there are means leading to self-realisation, art is one of them. In Claasen's work the world is reduced to 'silence' with no movement, no anecdote. The image has to be timeless in order not to resemble our 'world'. The paintings contain some fixed elements. There are staircases, there are houses of obviously "Southern European" origin. There will be a black shape filled with a white square.

There will be many organic elements like plants and trees. In front of it all there will be a tree-stem with neither a beginning nor end. The houses and staircases show traces of human activity. They have been re-styled in order not to represent actual action, event or history. The houses appear to be Southern European not as ultimate dream but as a "cradle', as basic culture. Staircases relate to ascent and descent, endlessly. The black-and-white shape seems to be alien to the image. It does not seem to fit-in but relates to everything eventually from colour to beginning-and-end. The white shape can be called a philosophical "window".

The tree seems to appear in front of the actual painting. It continues unlimitedly up-or-down. It is placed outside of space and time, like a mythical tree.

In all painting small excisions are found. They offer a view to real landscape, sometimes stylized sometimes "realistic". They seem to coordinate the balance between the basic shapes and depth which practically all paintings are. There may be different landscapes within one painting that determine it to be less of a snapshot. Three major themes repeat themselves, landscape, garden and island. The landscape has a continuous horizon, it is usually 'open'. The garden is usually 'closed', a "hortus conclusus". It is not so much a religious referral to- but evoking a feeling of safety. The island is a paradox, it is open as well as enclosed.

Claasen's work is esthetic but not designed to make attractive paintings. It does not comment upon, there is no referral to 'the world' as there are no people, animals or events in it. Claasen: The artwork to me is more then just images, although I am not sure how to relate them properly myself. The only thing I am sure of is that they have to be there